(Reuters) - A Burlington Northern Santa Fe train carrying crude oil derailed as it left a railyard in north Seattle on Thursday, but there were no reports of a spill or injuries, BNSF said in a statement.Four railcars came off the tracks at around 2 a.m. PDT (0900 GMT), three of which were carrying crude oil, said BNSF, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway. The train originated in North Dakota and was bound for Tesoro Corp's 120,000 barrel-per-day Anacortes oil refinery, 80 miles (129 km) north of the city, Tesoro confirmed.The derailment comes at a pivotal moment for the booming crude-by-rail industry, which has come under intense scrutiny after a series of accidents over the past 18 months.While small in comparison to recent explosive oil train derailments, Thursday's accident occurred a day after the U.S. Department of Transportation issued new safety proposals governing the transport of crude by rail, including phasing out older unsafe tank cars.The rail cars that derailed were the CP-1232 model that meets the latest federal safety standards, BNSF said. The train is expected to be back on the track later on Thursday and the cause of the accident is under investigation.Washington State has become a leading destination for crude-by-rail cargoes from the Bakken region of North Dakota and Montana, which produces oil that is lighter and more volatile than other grades of crude, according to recent government tests.As many as 19 trains per week carrying Bakken crude oil transited through the state in recent months, according to BNSF data provided to emergency responders in Washington State, as required by a federal executive order this year.Seattle authorities and residents have become skittish about the growing traffic. Seattle's city council in February passed a resolution urging the U.S. Department of Transportation to strengthen regulations and phase out older tank cars.The Department of Transportation on Wednesday proposed that older cars be phased out in a staggered manner over five years.Seattle's resolution also urged the state to assess the safety, environmental and economic risks tied to oil-by-rail traffic through the city and the state.Washington Governor Jay Inslee has asked the state Department of Ecology to analyze those risks, including Bakken crude volatility, and develop spill response plans. That study is slated to wrap up in October.There is already opposition to new crude-by-rail projects in the state, including Tesoro’s proposed railport in Vancouver, Washington.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced details Wednesday of a proposal to make crude oil transportation safer, in a bid to prevent more derailments and the threats that accompany them.The proposal would phase out older DOT 111 tank cars that ship packing group I flammable liquids, a category that includes most Bakken crude oil. Retrofitting the tank cars to comply with new standards is the only way that wouldn’t be phased out.Other elements of the proposal include braking controls, lower speed laws and a testing program for mined gases and liquids.“Safety is our top priority, which is why I’ve worked aggressively to improve the safe transport of crude oil and other hazardous materials since my first week in office,” DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx said. “While we have made unprecedented progress through voluntary agreements and emergency orders, today’s proposal represents our most significant progress yet in developing and enforcing new rules to ensure that all flammable liquids, including Bakken crude and ethanol, are transported safely.”The proposal is subject to 60 days of public comment. The proposal is based on an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in September that received more than 150,000 comments. Here are some highlights of Wednesday’s proposal:

Carriers would be required to perform a routing analysis for high-hazard flammable trains (HHFTs) that would consider 27 safety and security factors and select a route based on findings of the route’s analysis.

HHFTs that contain any tank cars that don’t meet enhanced tank car standards would be required to choose one of three speed restrictions: A 40-miles-per-hour maximum speed restriction in all areas; a 40-mph speed restriction in “high-threat urban areas”; or a 40-mph speed restriction in areas with populations of 100,000 or more.

All HHFTs would be equipped with alternative brake signal propagation systems. Depending on the outcome of the tank car standard proposal and implementation timing, all HHFTs would be operated with either electronic controlled pneumatic brakes, a two-way end of train device or distributed power.

In remembrance of the one-year anniversary of the Lac-Mégantic oil train tragedy that killed 47 people, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) raised a banner from cranes today calling out unfair labor practices and protesting unsafe oil at the Port of Vancouver in Washington.The International Longshore and Warehouse Union raised a banner from cranes calling out unfair labor practices and protesting unsafe oil at the Port of Vancouver in Washington.The Port of Vancouver is under intense scrutiny because it has not supported the locked-out ILWU Local 4 who have worked the docks in Vancouver since 1937. The port refuses to assist the ILWU during a labor dispute with the multinational United Grain Corporation. At the same time, the port is trying to ram through a dangerous and dirty crude-by-rail terminalproposed by Tesoro. This terminal would send 42 percent of the capacity of the Keystone XL pipeline—360,000 barrels per day—by train to Vancouver, where the oil would be loaded onto oceangoing vessels to sail down the Columbia River. The ILWU has taken a stand against the massive crude-by-rail project.“Longshoreman would be the guys tying up and letting the ships go, but our local said, ‘no, the risk isn’t worth the reward,’” said Cager Clabaugh, president of the Local 4, ILWU. “We don’t believe in jobs at any cost.” The 1,500 square foot banner read:Unfair grainUnsafe oilCommunityUnder AttackThe ILWU Local 4 is requesting people call Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to ask him to end the labor lockout and reject the Tesoro oil terminal. Now is the time for labor and enviros to stand together for clean water and safe working conditions.Read the original article here.

(Reuters) - A train derailment in Montana this week damaged a shipment of jetliner fuselages and other large parts on its way toBoeing Co factories in Washington state from Spirit Aerosystems,Boeing said on Saturday.It was not yet known if the accident might affect production of planes, the company said. Boeing's production depends on a complex supply chain that deliver many parts just in time for assembly, but the company often has the ability to prevent minor problems in logistics from idling its factories.Boeing said a BNSF Railway Co[BNISF.UL] train loaded with six 737 narrowbody fuselages and assemblies for its 777 and 747 widebody jets derailed in Montana while en route from Wichita on Thursday.A total of 19 cars in the 90-car train derailed in the incident about 18 miles (30 km) east of Superior, Montana, said Rail Link Montana. The rail company links with BNSF to carry freight from Billings in southern Montana through the state to Spokane, Washington where it links back to BNSF.Of the derailed cars, three cars carrying 737 plane fuselages went down an embankment and into the Clark Fork River.Spirit Aerosystems, based in Wichita, Kansas, builds all of Boeing's 737 fuselages and Boeing currently produces 42 finished 737s a month. So the six fuselages involved in Thursday's derailment represent 14 percent of Boeing's monthly production of 737s.Boeing declined to comment on whether it would seek a second source for the fuselages, as some industry experts have suggested.The cause of the derailment was not yet known, said Montana Rail Link spokeswoman Lynda Frost, but added that speed was not considered to be an issue. There is a 35 mph (48 kph) speed limit on that section of the track, which is curvy as it tracks the Clark Fork, she said.The line was being reopened on Saturday afternoon, Frost said. There were no injuries in the accident.Boeing said it had experts at the scene "to begin a thorough assessment of the situation."Montana Rail Link had called in three contractors to undertake the recovery of the derailed cars, Frost said, but she did not have details of the state of the freight in the derailed cars.Montana Rail Link, a privately-held company, is investigating the cause of the accident.Spirit said it was working closely with Boeing following the incident."We are confident that, working together, we will overcome whatever challenges may be presented," the company said in a statement.Spirit shut down temporarily in April 2012 after a tornado severed power lines and damaged buildings in the region. At the time, Boeing said its production system had a cushion to help it handle those disruptions.The train also was carrying fuselage panels for the 777, and a leading edge flight surface for the 747, the company said."Our team of experts is assessing the damage," Boeing spokesman Doug Alder said in a statement on Saturday. "Once we determine the extent of damage we will assess what, if any, impact there will be to production."Boeing reported on Thursday that it delivered 342 jetliners in the first half of the year, including 239 737s, a brisk pace but less than half of its goal of delivering between 715 and 725 jetliners this year.BNSF confirmed the derailment, but referred questions to Montana Rail Link.